Charles



(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. 0. APPLEBY. APPARATUS FOR COVERING WIRE WITH SOFT METAL.

Patented D50. 6, 1887.

VINVENTUI? 164% W] TNESSES N. Pu Ens Photo-Lithograph". wilihinmfl, u c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. C. APPLEBY.

APPARATUS FOR COVERING WIRE WITH SOFT METAL.- No. 374,164. Patented Dec.6, 1887.

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APPARATfis FOR COVERING WIRE WITH SOFT METAL. N0. 37 L164] Patented Dec.6,1887;

WITNESSES A INVENTOR NJPETERS, Phntoe W C the liner w of Fig. 1.

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

J. CHARLES APrLEBY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR COVERING WIRE WITH SOFT METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,164, dated December6, 1887.

Application filed March 1 5, 1887.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. CHARLES APPLEBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at J ersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Covering NVire with Lead, Alloys, Soft Metal, or other PlasticMaterial; and Ido hereby declare that the following. is a full, clear,and,exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is more particularly intended for covering insulatedelectric wires with lead, alloys, or other soft metal or plasticmaterial; but it may also, when desired, be used for other and analogouspurposes.

The said invention comprises certain novel means whereby by the simpleadjustment of certain parts pipes having walls of variable thicknesses,but of substantially the same internal bore or diameter, may be madewith one and the same apparatus; and it also comprises certain novelmeans whereby the operation of covering the wire with a substantiallyuniform covering of lead, alloy, soft metal, or other appropriatematerial may be conducted with very great rapidity and convenience, andwith but moderate outlay of time and labor, the said invention beingespecially adapted to the covering, 'as aforesaid, of considerablelengths of wire with greater speed than has heretofore been attained.

- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus illustrating in part mysaid invention, and Fig. -2 isa horizontal sectional view taken in Fig.3 is an inverted plan view, on a larger scale, of the ram-head,

the position of which in the machine is indicated in Fig. 1.

Fig. at is a view of the other or opposite end of said ramhead. Fig. 5is a vertical transverse sectional view taken in the line 2 z of Figs.4, 6, and 10. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken in aplane atright angles to Fig. 5t hat is to say, in the line 3 y of Figs.4, 5, 9, and 10. Fig. 7 is a detail view, on a larger scale, of certainparts shown in Figs. 5 and 6; and Fig. 8 is a like view as seen in aline of sight at right angles to Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a side view of therain- Serial No. 230,971. (No moilcl.)

head, and on the same scale'as Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10. Fig. 10 is ahorizontal sectional view of the ram-head, taken in the line 0 o ofFigs. 5 and 6. Fig. 11 includes two detail views,taken in lines of sightat right angles to each other, of certain parts shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7,and 8. The location of the rarn-head and its adjuncts with reference tothe other parts of the apparatus is represent-ed in Figs. 1 and 2.

A is the cylinder or receiver, in which is placed the lead, alloy, orother soft metal .or plastic material with which the wire is to becovered or coated, and B is the rain, the head 0 of which passes downinto the cylinder or receiver A.

D is the fixed head from which the ram B is suspended, and which isconnected by suit able tension-bars, E, with the hydraulic press, theupper part of which is shown at F.

The several parts just hereinbef'ore indicated may have, with theexceptions hereinafter particularized, the same construction as anordinary lead-pipe-niaking machine, or, as it is commonly termed, aleactpipe press, and are to be operated in substantially the samemanner. ment, and operation of the said parts may, however, be varied atwill, so long as the principle of my invention, as hereinafter setforth, is preserved. It is of' course to be understood that in theconstruction hereinbefore set forth the cylinder or receiver A movestoward. the ram B, in order to insure the passage of the latter into thesaid cylinder, in the man ner'usnal in leadpipe machines or presses.

The construction, arrange- The head 0 of the ram B, or, as I term it foras in an ordinary lead-pipe machine or press,

has adifferent construction, more clearly illustrated in the largerviews of Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, and also of Figs. 9 and 10;

\Vhen the apparatus is designed to simply cover one wire at atime, onlyone series or system of the devices, hereinafter set forth, need beembodied in the ram'head; but it is preferred to coat or cover twocoated wires simultaneously, and therefore, as represented in thedrawings, duplicate systems or series of such devices are shown. WVhenpreferred, the

number of such systems or series may be still further increased in orderto simultaneously coat or cover a larger number of wires.

Each system or series of devices is constructed and arranged as follows:

In the outer part of the ram-head O is inserted a circular die, a, asmore fully shown in Figs. 5 and G. This die is provided with an externalscrew-thread, which screws into a fixed nut, b, suitably provided in theramhead. A circumferential flange, c, integral with the die, is arrangedin due relation with a suitable flat bearing, d, and one or morewashers, e, are inserted between the flange a and the bearing d, for thepurpose hereinafter set forth. The throat a of the die a is preferablyof tapering or conical form and smallest at its outer end.

Formed in the ran1-head, and extending from theface thereof to andbehind the throat a of each die a in such manner as to permit the lead,alloy, or other soft metal or plastic material, as the case may be, topass from the cylinder to and out from the said throat a of the die, arepassages f. The outer ends of these passagesf are enlarged or flaring,as shown more fully atf in Fig. 3, and the face of the ram-head adjacentto said flaring ends of the passages f is cut away, as represented atgin the cross-section, Fig. 6, in the inverted plan view of Fig. 3, andin the side view of Fig. 9, and when more than one die is used in oneand the same ram-head the edge portions 9 are cut away, as illustratedin Figs. 3 and 9, to facilitate the ready entrance of lead alloy orother soft metal or plastic material from the cylinder to the passagesf, as

just hereinbefore explained.

Inserted in the ram-head is a tubular guide, It, said guide beingpreferably provided with an external screw-thread, by means of which itis screwed into a fixed nut formed in the ram-head. The bore of thistubular guide h is extended within the center or axis of the throat toof the die a, and the end of the said guide adjacent to the die is oftapering form. The annular space 3 between the tapering end of thetubular guide h and the inner surface of the die a determines thediameter and the thicknesses of the walls of the pipe as the same isformed around the wire to be covered. The ram-head is recessed, as shownat m, affording space for a wheel, 72, rotating on a journal or axle, T,which is also indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 5. The wheel a is soarranged that a line drawn longitudinally and centrally or axiallythrough the throat or of the die a and the bore I) of the tubular guidehis at substantially a tangent to the circumference of the wheel a. Thelatter should be circumferentially grooved, as shown in Fig. 5. Therecess m opens to the opposite end, m, of the ram-head. The wire to becoated passes over the pulley or pulleys w w, as shown in Fig.

1, thence inward around the wheel a, thence outward through the tubularguide 71. and the throat a of the die a, thence to the pulleys 10 w to asuitable reel or other apparatus for receiving the same. When the inletto the recess m is at the side of the ram-head, as indicated at a inFig. 6, the location of the pulleys w 20 will be correspondinglychanged. The lead, soft metal, alley or other plastic material, beingplaced in the cylinder A, with the wire to be covered passed around thewheel a and through the guide h and the die a, as explained, thecylinder ismoved wit-h relation to the ram head to eject the lead,alloy, soft metal, or other plastic material through the flaring ends fof the passagesf to and through the space t between the tubular guide Itand the die a, and thence out in the form of a pipe surrounding the wireto and over the receiving-pulleys w 10 the action of the lead, alloy,soft metal, or other plastic material as it issues from the throat aof-the die a carrying with it the pipe, the wire being of courseinclosed within the pipe and carried thereby.

In order to guide the wire, the latter being indicated by thereference-letter 8, into the requisite relation with the wheel 12, afixed guide, t, is arranged in due relation with the inlet-opening m ofthe passage m.

The ram head, for purposes hereinafter set forth, is provided at anysuitable part with a recess or cavity chamber, m separate from v therecess m,- but in practice it is preferred to make the said recess m ofa size sufficient to serve the said purpose in addition to thathereinbefore explained. Within the cavity, whether a separate one or therecess m aforesaid, is placed a vessel, B, preferably made ofsheet-copper, and preferably having a flange, c at its upper end, whichrests upon the ram-head, as illustrated in Fig. 6, and serves as asupport for the vessel B. This vessel B is provided with an inlet andoutlet pipe or passage-as, for example, an inlet-pipe, a, and anoutlet-pipe, b*through which cold water or any other suitablerefrigerating fluid may be circulated, so that the said vessel, beingplaced in suitable contiguity with the metal of'the ram-head, cools orreduces the temperature thereof to the extent required to prevent theliquefaction er undue fluidity of the lead or other soft metal, alley,or plastic material as it passes to and through the die a.

By means of my said invention, herein set forth, I am enabled to coatwire with any suitable plastic material or with any suitable material.in a plastic condition. The invention may also, when desired, beemployed for covering cables, so termed, as well as single wires,especially when the cables are of small diameters. WVhen desired, thelead, alloy, soft metal, or other plastic material may be heated toinsure the requisite degree of plasticity by heat applied externally tothe cylinder, either by means of a suitable furnace or by circulatinghot air, gaseous products of combustion, &c., around or in contact withsaid cylinder in any suitable manner, or by raising the temperature ofthe cylinder by other appropriate means. For this purpose I have shownin Fig. 1 two braziers, A", one placed at the top and one at the bottomof the cylinder A.

The object of securing the die a in its nutseat I) is to permit of theadjustment of the die longitudinally with reference to the tubular guideand to the passages f, to increase or diminish the space between theexternal curved Walls of the said tubular guide and the throat or of thedie when it is desired to increase or to diminish the thickness of thewalls of the coat-' ing. In this adjustment the packing-washers dcooperate with the die-flange c to maintain the seat at this pointbetween the threaded walls of the die and its seat.

I do not claim herein theinvention described, claimed, and shown in myapplication filed November 1, 1886, under Serial No. 217,675.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A ram-head of a wire-coveringmachine, provided with a tubular guide, 7b, a die, a, longitudinallyadjustable with reference to said tubular guide, and passages for thepassage of the lead, alloy, soft metal, or other plastic material to thedie and of wire to the tubular guide, substantially as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

2. A ram-head ofa wire-covering machine, provided with a tubularguide,71, a die, a, longitudinally adjustable with reference to said tubularguide, washer or washers e, interposed between the tubular guide and itsbearing, and passages for the passage of the lead, alloy, soft metal, orother plastic material to the die and of wire to the tubular guide,substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. A ram-head of a wire-covering machine,

- provided with a wire guiding wheel, a, and

with a die, a, and tubular guide h, arranged in line with each other ata tangent to the circumference of the wire-guiding wheel, and a passageor passages for the transmission of the lead, alloy, soft metal, orother plastic material to the said die, substantially as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

4:. A ram-head of a wire-covering machine, provided with two or moresystems of devices, each system comprising the following elements ordevices, to wit: a wire-guiding wheel, n, a die, a, a tubular guide, h,arranged in line with each other at a tangent to the circumference ofthe wire-guiding wheel, and a passage or passages for the transmissionof lead, alloy,

soft metal, or other plastic material to the said die, substantially asand for the purpose herein set forth.

5. A ram-head of a wirecovering machine, provided with a wire guidingwheel, a, and with a die, a, and tubular guide h, adjustable with regardto each other and arranged in line with each other at a tangent to thecircumference of the wire-guiding wheel a, and a pas sage or passagesfor the transmission of the lead, alloy, soft metal, or other plasticmate rial to the said die, substantially as and for the purpose hereinset forth.

6. A ram-head of a wire-covering machine, constructed with flaringchambers or recesses provided with two or more dies, a a, and two ormore tubular guides, h h, and with passages for the covering materialand the wire to pass to the dies a a, and tubular guides, sub stantiallyas and for"the purpose herein set forth.

7. A ram-head of a wire-covering machine, constructed with flaringchambers or recesses, two or more tubular guides, h, and correspondingdies at a, passages from said chambers to said dies at a, andwire-guiding wheels a a, arranged to deliver the wire to the guides in adirection longitudinal to the circumference of said wheels,substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

8. A ram-head for wirecovering machines, constructed with two or moreseries of wirecovering mechanisms, each mechanism comprising a die, a,for forming the coating material around the wire, a tubular guide, It,for guiding the wire to the die, a guide-wheel, or, arranged to deliverwire to the guide in a direction tangential to the circumference of saidwheel, and passages for the wire and coating material, the parts beingarranged to act simultaneously and in unison to cover two or more wires,substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

9. A ram-head constructed with a cavity or recess, in combination with avessel, B, constructed to permit or insure the circulation of 100 acooling-fluid therethrough, and placed within the said cavity to preventundue heating of the ram-head, substantially as and for the purposeherein set forth.

J. OH ARLES APPLEBY. Witnesses:

CHARLES A. HERBERT, ALBERT O. AUBERY.

